Old Dreams
by Beaner-Bop
Summary: The city he knew from when he was younger, full of color and diversity, was now blank and gray. There were no people except them out there and quite frankly it was scaring him. Looking out at the ‘city’ now, he felt a surge of hatred rise through him. Dam
1. Disclaimer, A Letter, and a Prologue

****

Old Dreams

Beaner-Bop

Rated R

This is sort of a crossover fan fiction of 'The Tribe' (A series on 'WAM') and a book by Garth Nix called 'Shade's Children'. Quick Disclaimer, I don't own anything of either, I'm just a fan of both and have nothing to do with the publisher or Cloud 9 or… anything. Oh, and obviously **things are being changed **from both places, I'm just trying to blend it all together as well as I can so you will see changes!

A letter

__

Dear Salene,

How are you? Everything is so different now from what they were. I know it's been a while since I last wrote but I suppose that technically that doesn't really matter, huh? Chloe says I shouldn't think like that - yep, still have to listen to her.

Don't you think my handwriting skills are getting better Salene? You should see how I can draw now too! Guess which dyed red headed kid has a girlfriend now! That's right! And get this - she can speak like French or something and is an awesome artist. I can even get some credit as being matchmaker!

Ladybug (as I have now taken to calling him, or just 'Bug' if we we're with others or his GIRL friend! It's because of his hair, it's black on top now, with the parts on the side of his face as deeper red than usual.) was talking to me when he saw her one day, talking to another girl (in French). After a while we started talking about her. He wanted to figure out a way to get to talk to her. I told him he'd need to know French or something like that just to get close to her - get what he said!

"I'd learn French, speak, sit, and roll over if it meant getting closer to her!" You should have seen his face after he said it, I don't think he meant to - insert my regular giggle here.

Back to the story - one day I saw her drawing (and it was REALLY good!) by herself. I went over to her and watched her for a moment before asking her if she could teach me. Practically immediately she was showing me that you don't want to think of drawing a face as a face, but as shapes, you know? Like the bottom part of your nose is sort of like three circles and- never mind. Anyway, after a while she started to ask questions about You-Know-Who. Won't Bug be surprised? Hehe, at this point I told her that 'he wanted to learn French (I didn't tell her the 'why') She looked surprised at that but began to look really happy, you know? We kept talking and let me tell you, it didn't take much persuasion to get her to agree to teaching him, hehe. So - wallah! Instant Romance! Lol!

Now, back to what's been going on around here lately I suppose. There really isn't anything going on right now.

Unless of course, being scared counts.

Chloe and Ved are going out tomorrow - another mission. I'm afraid they won't come back. You might wonder why I'm worried - well here's the reason. People are coming back less and less from these things. What if one of these days, it's group #16 (Chloe and Ved's group) that doesn't come back? Or not all the members?

I'm scared for them Salene, what am I going to do? I haven't told anyone how scared I am…but still.

Sorry about the tear marks, I'm just really scared.

Eep! Ved's at the door, wondering why I'm not asleep yet. I better wrap this up. Nothing else to say though really, I guess…

Salene - I know I ask you this in every letter but…I never get an answer - send me anything! A letter, a dream, a sign! I don't care! Just send me something, so I know.

Are you still out there? Have you gotten away? Are you in the dormitories? Or, or have you become - no. I can barely think that, let alone actually write it. The chances that you are though Salene are so high. The chances that you all are. It's been years. How can you not be? But maybe… Just maybe.

I still have hope.

I better get going Salene, bye.

Sincerely,

Mouse

Prologue

Everything was actually okay after the epidemic, but nobody knew that. Not really. They all had hope, they all had each other. They all had their talents, their strengths, the things that allowed them to help out in any way that they could. Everyone knew it was bad - but it was okay.

Then something happened. Something that took their bad reality and made it even worse.

Creatures came. Nobody knew who was controlling them - or for that matter what was going on.

They took the oldest people first, around seventeen years of age and older.

After that, those who were left searched for the ones who were taken - they found nothing.

Then, a discovery came to one of these kids. A boy. Fuse, was the name.

A computer program of some sort. But it couldn't really be called that… where computer programs have 'artificial intelligence' this… seemed to have it's own mind.

It got impatient with people, angry. But it could be proud of them, cheer them on, train them, teach them. It could help them.

This was Shade.

He had the people Fuse was with go and get more people. At this point and time, younger people were being grabbed and put into 'the dorms', the place where the creatures would take you by orders from those above them - the Overlords.


	2. Shade's Ved

Old Dreams

-

Chapter One:

Shade's Ved

-

A tall figure sat in front of a computer screen, typing away, putting in programs, stopping viruses, anything to keep busy, and to keep people from talking to him. Not that the last part really mattered, it was so late he was practically the only one up.

Looking at him, you'd say he was somewhere between the ages of seventeen to nineteen, but for some reason, the way his face looked, you could have mistaken him for someone older. You could practically tell that he had seen things that no one should've.

Peroxide blond hair, up in spikes, an old look to some - out-of-date a few years (not that anyone really knew), but the boy didn't care. It was practically a lifeline.

The computer next to him began to boot up on it's own but the boy didn't look at all surprised, just kept working on the one he was at. When a face showed up on the screen next to him, the boy turned slightly, nodded at it, then went back to working on whatever it was now.

"Up late again, Ved?" The computer man asked. The boy, Ved, just nodded his head, still typing away at the keyboard. "You should get some sleep - big mission tomorrow!" The computer guy practically giddy - or at least as giddy as this guy could get.

"I'll go to sleep once I figure out who-" A clucking sound came from computer man.

"Ved, Ved, Ved! Don't worry about this! Let the new recruits handle this type of work! You need your rest!" Ved ignored him and kept on typing. After a few minutes, the computer guy spoke up again. "Ved, really, you should go to sleep - and…I believe the rodent-"

"Mouse?"

"Yes, her, she seems to be writing letters to that Salene character again. You know, Chloe and you have never really told me about her, or any of the others." Ved turned sightly, after just turning off the computer, and looked at the one beside it.

"Shade, I don't know where Chloe came from, so I know no one there." The computer man - Shade - nodded his head.

"Yes, yes, yes, I understand that but what about where you came from, what about those people?" Ved shrugged, getting up, he stretched his muscles, not knowing that they were so out of joint.

"I didn't really know any of them Shade." He answered. Shade was nodding his head in the screen.

"I understand that, I understand that, but - didn't you have a sibling? An older brother? What about him." Ved shrugged, beginning to walk over to the early teen hall area to check on Mouse.

"He looked like me." Was all he said, turning his back to the screen. He knew Shade was gone when the light from the computer turned off. Ved walked on for a while until he was in front of Mouse's door, knocking on it lightly.

"Knock, knock?" He whispered silently, knowing that only someone awake would hear it. Just as he thought rustling of papers could be heard and Mouse's tired voice coming back to him saying, "Just a second, just a second! I'm not done yet!" He heard the pencil meeting the paper for a while longer but then it stopped, more paper rustling, lick and then Mouse walking back over to her bed.

He walked over and began to tuck her in. She looked up at him, slightly annoyed.

"You know I'm not a baby or a toddler or anything, right?" He grinned at her.

"That's exactly right, you're an adolescent - good for you. Now go to sleep." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm eleven years old you know…"

"So?"

"So…oh never mind. I'm not a baby anymore." Mouse complained weakly to him. He nodded slowly.

"No, you aren't a baby anymore, are you?" he rubbed her hair lightly, and waited until she fell asleep before he got up to leave the room. When his hand touched the doorknob, Mouse's voice reached him one more time.

"Ved?" He turned to her.

"Yeah, Mouse?"

"Do you still think your brother's out there? Do you think that he's still alive…or do you think that the, the Overlords got him?" He was silent so long that Mouse actually fell asleep in it, so she couldn't hear his answer, not that he gave one.

Ved closed the door behind him, happy that the three other girls Mouse had to share the room with didn't wake up during any of that. It was one reason Mouse hated the place, she couldn't do any of her regular rituals that they made when they first joined 'Shade's Children' without looking like a 'Baby', like the tucking in thing. _She needs to grow out of that anyway._ Ved actually winced at the sound of that word. For some reason, the thought of anyone growing up scared him, as far as he was concerned, it seemed growing up was bad luck.

It took him a while to get to the 'Late Teens' area. Unlike the children, preteen, and early teens, which takes up six halls. these halls weren't divided up into sexes, taking up only one. And unlike the others, each 'Late Teen' gets their own room.

He put his hand up to a little scanner on the wall, waiting for the regular five seconds it took to work, then practically falling into his room when the doors slid open. _Guess I really was tired. _He thought to himself. He took off his shirt and pants, leaving him in his boxers as he stumbled across the floor and plopped onto the bed, not even caring enough to put the covers on first.

A moment after he fell asleep, another figure walked into the room, looked at him, shook her head and then went to the closet, grabbing an extra blanket from it, she aired it out silently and put it over him, moving his bangs away from his eyebrows for a moment to get a better look at his face. She shook her head silently before turning back around and leaving the room.

__

-fin chapter-


	3. Opposition Stats

-Opposition Stats-

Overlords:

Number of Overlords 7

Name of Known Overlords:

Red Diamond, Black Banner, Gold Claw, Blue Star, Emerald Crown, Silver Sun, Grey Crescent

Overlords Creatures:

Screamers, Trackers, Myrmidons, Wingers, and Ferrets

Note: Very few of these creatures will ever be seen alone - most always stay in packs.

-End-


	4. Another Mission

Old Dreams

-

Chapter Two:

Another Mission

-

_"Group number 16, you have thirteen minutes before you leave. Group number 16, you have thirteen minutes before you leave…"_ said a voice over the intercom. The four people who were currently strapping belts on with stun guns, regular guns, and even swords on them ignored the message. They each had pouches with first aid kits in them and flashlights and a few food sticks. This was group number 16.

They were all silent, ignoring the noise that was going on the other side of the door. They could hear the younger kids playing games and laughing with each other - being happy.

Ved, one of the four, was the quietest of the bunch. The dark haired girl beside him next on that list, though her mind seemed to be wondering, as it always did before one of these things. It didn't take him long to learn this was how she calmed her self, not thinking about the issue at hand, but the little things that didn't look as though they mattered much. He wished for a moment that he could do that.

A light flickered in the corner and the four people turned to look at it. In an instant, a whole person (though hologram) could be seen, and it was the same man that Ved had talked to the night before.

"Hello all." They all just nodded back to him. Ved was keeping a close eye on of the other three, especially a blue haired boy who seemed oddly sick yet happy at the same time. _He's done this before…_ Ved thought to himself, _what is he so happy about? _"Do you understand what is needed to be done?" They all nodded again. "Then who am I to keep you?" He began to usher them out the other door, the one without all the happy sounds coming from behind it, had them walk a small ways, until finally they came to a part that had a door like thing (looked more like a safe door than a door 'door') that was in the ceiling. Ved walked forward and turned the metal wheel like knob and pushed it open, then climbed up the ladder, holding the door open so the other three could get out. Once they were, he closed it and began to follow them onto the docks.

Looking around, all you could see was water and land, giving you a small hint as to where they were all currently living, if you could call it that.

They all started to move into the city they were closest to quickly, and as one, not being able to risk suddenly splitting up from the group.

Ved, leading the way along with the dark haired girl, took a moment to look at the sky - dark, as usual. He could barely remember what it looked like on a good day.

He shook thoughts of the old days out of his mind when he heard something. He looked at the dark haired girl who was practically side by side of him, and she nodded to him.

"Shade wanted a Red Diamond ferret, right?" He asked her silently. She nodded, looking around to keep an eye out for anything that might pop up and kill them.

"Then we really need to get out of this area…" She nodded.

"Red Diamond's operations take place closer to the living areas - Black Banner and Silver Sun's are with the Mall and hospital." She whispered. He nodded.

"Underground then?" She shrugged, everyone feeling more nervous standing still than when they moved, the other girl in the group even brought her stun gun out, to make herself feel safer.

"We'll have to deal with Black Banner and Silver Sun's Ferrets then." Ved shrugged.

"Rather meet up with a couple Ferrets than a few Myrmidons." Ved said, walking forward to another part of the road, the part with the sewer entrance. He reached down and pulled it up, ushering the other three in again, making sure that when he followed, the top was on securely.

Even though it's been ages since the sewers had last been used, water and muck was still down there - yet the only person looking uncomfortable was the blond girl who still had her gun out.

Looking around quickly, Ved pointed North, which would take them closer to where Red Diamond's operations were. The four of them began to run as quietly as they could, trying to keep the Ferrets off of them.

-

Mouse grabbed her food tray and turned around, looking for a spot to sit. Her mouth was shut tight as she searched, her eyes landing on a familiar red and black head, sitting farther back than anyone else and alone.

It didn't take her long to get back there, shorter than usual because she didn't stop to talk to anyone. Sitting down beside the boy she nodded towards him before looking back to her tray and staring at it for a few minutes. The boy beside her snorted before pointing to her food with his fork.

"Glaring at your food isn't the best way to eat it, you know." Mouse snorted back in reply. It didn't take a long wait until she was looking at him again and spilling out everything she was worrying about onto him.

"Why did they need to go? I mean, isn't there more? Shouldn't Shade have them here, doing something…you know, important?" 'Bug' rolled his eyes.

"You know that can't happen. They're the best on the field." Mouse slunk lower into her seat.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but…aren't they the best at working on the computers and stuff too?" Sammy nodded his head.

"True…but that's also easier and safer to teach." Mouse thought for a moment and was able to come up with another argument.

"But doesn't Ved have those weird ways of hacking that he learned while he was a Techno?" Mouse asked. 'Bug' was silent for a moment before nodding.

"He does." Mouse looked sadder at his tone.

"Why do I have a feeling that bad news sticks to that too?" He shrugged.

"Because I've got some," He turned to look at her, "All Ved needs to do is to teach someone all those little hacking tricks he knows. I know for a fact that he's doing it now, teaching someone the tricks I mean - whether Shade knows or not, no idea, but, yeah." Mouse looked up at him confused, both ignoring their food now.

"How would you know something Ved's doing, that Shade might not know about it? And hasn't Shade been trying to get Ved to do just that?" Bug nodded all through this.

"Shade has been trying to get Ved to teach them to _him,_ or send in files or however Ved would need to give Shade the facts, not teaching them to another kid." He grabbed his drink and took a swig as Mouse asked her next question.

"So, how do you know what Ved's doing? And who's the student?" All Bug gave her was one answer.

"You're looking at him."

__

-fin chapter-


	5. Video Archive Chloe

-Video Archive-

-Recruit Files-

Interview #0054 - Chloe

28 Days after 'The Change'

-Start-

Um…hi. I'm Chloe. Um… I don't know what to say!

Break. 30 seconds

How did I get here? Well, um… Luck I guess. Ved was the one who brought us here. We're really lucky, actually, that he was running from that…thing at the time. I don't think I or many of the others would've made it.

Silence for 15 seconds. No Break

How did he do it? How should I know? I'm not his personal secretary, yeesh!

Break. 12 seconds. Interviewee is beginning to be uncooperative.

Do I still need to say more? Gah… I'm Fifteen, I've gone through the epidemic and apparently now I have to start going through 'The Change'. There, I said more. Anything else your highness?

Break. 26 seconds

I was being sarcastic. God, can I be done here?

End Interview


	6. Taunting

Old Dreams

-

Chapter Three

Taunting

-

Ved pointed his sort of 'stun gun' at the ferret, he saw that the girls had already killed the ferret that they were sent to - the only way to do that was to aim at abut fifteen different parts and hope you hit the things brain or heart if you didn't guess right - that way it could takes months to fix the thing.

Shooting where he guessed this ones heart was, the area always changed, he noticed he was right from the way it just fell. He pointed to the way they were going and began to run, not necessarily as fast as they could, they had to save that type of energy for running back to their 'haven'.

They ran one block under sewers when he began to hear more ferrets beginning to unwind themselves from the usual corners they hid in. He shook his head and kept running forward.

"We can outrun them into another area!" The black haired girl shook her head.

"No we _can't_. Besides, we aren't going to run into the same overlords ferrets! We're going to run into Silver Sun's! Those were all Black Banners, they- Wait…I get it. Nevermind." The other two looked confused at the dark haired girl's ranting - Chloe, but didn't talk as they were running, worried about losing their breath.

The four of them kept running, as they began to hear the Black Banner's ferrets screeching behind them.

"Alan, Josie, keep running, dammit! That isn't what we're doing!" He heard Chloe yell at the other two. They seemed to pause for a moment before they kept on moving.

More claw sounds, more ferrets, were right in front of them, just like Ved knew there would be. He heard Josie going for her gun but again saw that Chloe was going to take care of that.

"That isn't the plan Josie, put your gun away, NOW! You're more than likely going to need both hands for this!" The girl stumbled before dropping her gun into the sewers. She was reaching down to get it when Chloe ran over and grabbed her arm. "Come on, Jose! What the hell is wrong with you?" Without waiting for an answer, Chloe ran, holding onto the girl's arm so she wouldn't slow down again.

They had now run two blocks, Black Banner's ferrets closing in on them and still no sight however of Silver Sun's. _Where the hell are they? _Ved thought to himself, _unless…_ He grabbed his gun and hit the corners , two screeches showing that he had hit. _Now it'll work._ The ferrets he hit came out quickly but since that had just began to boot up when they got there, they weren't completely ready for the four humans that ran past them. They did take up enough room though that the Black Banner's ferrets could run into them.

The four ran forward faster and harder, trying to get out of the rest of ferret territory. Knowing that at least eight would be in the fray that just started and that there were over two hundred ferrets made…well that just meant a lot of the area wasn't safe.

This part took the longest, running towards the 'living area' of town. Of course it's not a living area now - since it definitely wasn't when the epidemic went through, much less the Change.

Ved led them through mazes of sewer tunnels, more than not they had a ferret chasing them. That freaked Josie out but now she didn't lose her other guns at least.

It seemed forever before they ran into another ladder leading out of the tunnels Ved reached it first but Chloe was the first to climb, this was regular procedure. Alan went after her, and then Josie, finally Ved came up. He put the top back onto the sewer and noticed that Chloe had already pointed at where to go but they were going slower than what they should've been so he could catch up.

Once he did, he glared at Chloe but she ignored him. Shaking his head, they kept on running.

-

Mouse put in the video game she wanted to play and grabbed the controller. She was playing solo, so she could sit straight in front of the screen. About fifty other kids were in the game room with her, and about thirty of the TV's weren't even being used yet.

About half way through her game she heard the sound of footfall stop right behind her. She rolled her eyes for a moment before she kept on playing. The girl behind her cleared her voice.

"Excuse me?" Said a snotty voice. Mouse mimicked the words quietly but did nothing else to acknowledge that she heard the girl standing behind her. "Excuse me, _rodent,_ but I believe that I'm supposed to get this TV today." A few giggles followed but Mouse didn't rise to the bait. "I said-" Mouse shook her head.

"I'm here, _Angel,_ go and use one of the other TV's. There are plenty you know." She said, pointing towards two televisions that were on the complete other side of the room and vacant.

"I don't like those TV's." Angel told her. Mouse shrugged.

"Tough luck to you then, huh?" Mouse told her, still playing her game, re-ignoring the girls behind her. She knew there were more than one, with 'dogs' like these, they have to travel in packs.

"Excuse me? I don't think you quite get it, _eleven year old, _I started training just this week, that means when I tell you something, you _do it._" More snickering from behind her. Mouse just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"That isn't how it works, _Angel, _it only works if you're on a team. You have to be on a team to boss us underlings around," she turned around to look cute to the dyed purple haired girl, "Or did you forget that?" Angel just glared at her.

"You have no ri-" Mouse snorted at her. Angel's glare deepened. Mouse wouldn't let her finish.

"I have plenty right, actually, I'm surprised at your timing though. You seem to be enjoying having access to a few more files now, don't you? Odd, really, how you figured out just when group number 16 was going to leave." Angel looked taken aback.

"I did no such thing!" Mouse was positive that she was lying, and if she wasn't, well, like she cared.

"You do know it's against the rules to do things like that. In fact, I'm pretty sure there are punishments for that!" She kept on talking though at this point Angel was trying to interrupt. "and even if you DIDN'T, I really like how you made sure was alone before coming and attacking me. Just go to one of the other TV's Angel. I was here first." With that Mouse turned back around to face the TV screen with the word 'LOSER' painted on it and flashing. Angel hmphed.

"That's what you are." She said before turning and leaving.

-fin chapter-


	7. Video Archive Ved

Video Archive-

Recruit Files-

Interview #0050 - Ved

24 days after 'The Change'

Start-

Hey. I'm Ved. Jay's younger brother. Before I came here I was something called a 'Techno'. I guess I'm the only actual officer Techno still around. I was here after the epidemic to. I guess I'm pretty good at surviving. That's about it for who I am…was. Whatever.

Break for 10 seconds

Shade just showed me something, a sign. He wants me to illustrate how I got here. His words, not mine, obviously.

Um…My brother and I were searching an area, along with about seventeen other Technos, we weren't really looking for anything, you know? But, um…yeah. We were looking for trouble I guess. Jay to stop it, me to start.

Short laugh

Break for 34 seconds

I really wish I knew where Jay was right now. I know that I…never mind. That wouldn't make sense anyway…

Break for 12 seconds

Shade wants me to get back to the story. Okay, I can do that.

Um…

Break for 16 seconds

We were walking around, you know? Like I said earlier I suppose, but then, something really weird happened.

My brother was the first to notice it, all bow down to the prince slash advisor of the Technos, my big brother.

Shade put up another sign, he wants me to stick to the story. I will, I will. Damn, can't anyone have a little fun around here? Stupid…things.

I'm getting to the story Shade, don't rise another sign up.

Mumbles

Like I said, my brother heard something, he looked to me and asked if I heard that. I shook my head no and rolled my eyes at him.

I thought he was trying to scare me.

That wasn't it.

It didn't take long for my brother to split the Technos up to figure out what the sound was. He of course ordered me to stick with him.

I did, I was still in trouble for - well, that doesn't matter now, does it?

Anyway, my brother and I were searching around an alley when suddenly one of our troops screamed, like really loud and blood curdling scream, you know?

I'll be honest with you, you know? I was scared, I was ready to run the other way, but my brother, being who he was just had to go and figure out what was wrong - so we did.

When we got there, about three members of our troops were gone. We heard metal scraping the ground again (the rest of the troops came to figure out what was going on to) and we all looked, there were these… _things_. All huge and…metal. There were like, seven of them. But one of them were…walking, rolling? How did they move? I don't remember…

I remember looking up to my brother, waiting for him to tell us what to do.

The things saw us and when he saw that, he turned around and pushed me, told me to run and tell Ram immediately or something like that I said no, I wanted to stay.

The things were beginning to pick up speed, they were like about a block from us now, not that far (we were in the middle of one of the old main streets if you didn't figure that out already). My brother told the others to get ready to fire. We all started to set the things to '9', you know? Because we were all scared (but all wondering what the heck was going on, so we stayed).

He told us to shoot, we did, and the things barely stopped. He told us to fire again. One of the things actually paused for, well, enough time that we didn't have to move. I think we did this like two or three more times before my brother told everyone to retreat.

Break for 2 minutes, 4 seconds

I know Shade, I know. I'm gonna keep telling it. Let me just remember for a sec, okay?

Now where was I? At retreating, oh yeah.

Yeah. My brother told us to retreat. After this point, two more Technos were grabbed and we had no idea what was going on still - we were now missing five Technos. 19 Technos to 14 in less than one minute. Or at least it felt like that.

Break for 24 seconds

We were running…really running you know, like, for our lives running. These things were not close to getting off of us. It was nuts.

Rubs face around eyes.

Break for 17 seconds

A couple of others were grabbed. Jay and I were still running from them though. We were still fucking running. It wouldn't stop coming at us - none of them. The things-

Break for 12 seconds

What did they look like - the things? Oh…they were large, huge. They didn't have mouths, huge eyes - red. I'm pretty sure that they sort of rolled… I guess, or 'floated'. Something like that. Did they have wires connecting from the head to the 'arms' - that's a sign Shade just showed me.

Yeah, they did.

Break for 15 seconds

They're called Myrmidons? Okay. I suppose I can go with that. I'll try to remember it.

Anyway, the _Myrmidons _wouldn't leave until it had, like, three people to take back

Back to the story - sorry, got off track again. We were still running. There were about eight of us left now - the great Technos running for their lives, that was a lot of fun.

I suppose the technically at that point it was all we could do. My brother ordered us to run, retreat where we wanted but NOT towards headquarters. Said that that was to dangerous.

I think one or two of them did try to run for headquarters, but it didn't make a difference. They were grabbed, and taken back to wherever those things came from.

That leaves… like, what, ten Technos? Four Myrmidons. We outnumber - don't matter. We out numbered them from the beginning, practically half of us are already gone.

We're still running. The thing was gaining on me and Jay. I don't know about the rest of the Technos now. Suddenly, I felt my brother get a grip on my shoulders and he pushed me into an alley, to small for these things to get into - and then I heard him yell.

Like the one from the others.

I couldn't stop or do anything.

Voice changing pitches rapidly - Suggests he's crying

He was taken - I saw it. Suddenly, it was like 'Okay, these things have my brother - you should probably run now' and I was. I was sprinting to the other side, and these things were starting to chase _me. _It was scary as hell.

Break for 8 seconds

Do I admit that I was afraid? What do you think I just DID Shade?

Break for 15 seconds

Can I quit now?

Break for 13 seconds

Get to the part with Chloe and have her finish it? Alright, I can do that.

Break for 7 seconds

So, now I'm running down the street. This thing shooting at me when suddenly I saw Chloe and those two children behind her. She looked panicked - these things were all over the city you know? And apparently they got this Lex guy while they were there, and another guy - Pride.

They were all scared to - obviously. When I saw them I told them to run, it didn't take them a second to start doing just that, seeing the th- sorry Shade, Myrmidons behind me.

After a while, I figured out that we kept on running _forward._ I gained speed when we were closer to an alley that I knew had a way to go down. Not into the sewers, but into the lower part of the building, you know?

So I just pushed us all into there and that was it. Chloe can tell you the rest.

End Interview


	8. Back On Board

Old Dreams

-

Chapter Four

Back On Board

-

'Bug' was currently working in the testing room when Shade made his presence known.

"Hello Shade." Shade nodded to him.

"Thank you. How's work coming on that…bike?" Sammy shrugged.

"So far so good. Is sixteen back yet?" Shade shook his head 'no'. Sammy rolled himself out from under the motorcycle he was working on.

"They've been out there for over six hours." Shade looked at him oddly.

"Actually, they've only been out there for five hours, 56 minutes, and 43 seconds. 44 now." The other just shook his head.

"I'm not a computer Shade." Before either of them could say anything after that comment, the intercom went on and Shade disappeared.

_"Group sixteen has returned. I repeat, group sixteen has returned…" _Sammy shook his head.

"Took 'em long enough." He said as he rolled out from under them, and grabbing a rag, starting to clean the grease and oil from his hands.

-

"We have to report to Shade now, Mouse. You know that. You can tell me what an idiot this Angel is when we get out, alright?" Ved told the girl who was jumping up and down happily. She nodded and turned around, going back to her rooms.

Ved looked into the room where Josie and Alan were still taking off their swords. "Chloe and I'll talk to Shade. Is there any reason you two think you should come too?" They both shook their heads. Ved turned around and shrugged at Chloe. "Let's go."

As they began to walk down the hall to Shade's 'office', Ved couldn't help but feel as though Chloe was angry at him. He turned to look at her and saw her just staring at the wall.

"You okay?" He asked her. She looked at him for a moment before shrugging.

"I'm fine." Ved looked at her more closely.

"No, you're not. What's wrong?" Chloe began to suck her bottom lip into her mouth. Ved watched it for a while. When he heard a snort, he looked up at the girl guiltily.

"Sorry." She shrugged. "Did you say something while I was umm…not paying attention?" She was quiet and nodded yes. "Well?" She sighed sadly.

"I'm just jealous." He was just at the beginning and already getting confused.

"What? Of who?" She shrugged again, before glaring at him angrily. _What did I do now? _He thought to himself.

"I'm jealous of you, idiot." He was getting even more confused than before.

"Me? Why?" She looked downwards sadly before stopping so they could talk a little longer.

"Because…of the way Mouse talks to you. Why doesn't she talk to _me _like that?" She went silent for a moment, looking at the floor sadly, but then brought a glare up to meet him. "If you let Mouse know this in anyway, or do something that'll embarrass me, or you're going to try and 'help me out' I will kick your ass, is that understood?" Ved just nodded his head and the two started walking again, down to Shade's office.

-

Chloe walked down the hall and to her room. She heard giggling from a group of girls at the end of the other end of the hall and shook her head. It wasn't the first time that something like this happened, and she doubted it would be the last.

Whenever #16, or as it's more commonly known and put into the computer as 'Ved''s group, came back, a group of girls would come and try to flirt with him - get into his bed. Personally, it made her sick to her stomach but she smiled, knowing Ved wouldn't take the offers - he never has. _To bad we can't take each other's. _Chloe thought to herself, after yelling at the girl's to get into their rooms, and to stop hogging the hallway.

-

Ved toweled his hair dry, walking around in just a pair of jeans, and a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. He threw the towel onto the floor, not really caring where it landed, and continued to brush his teeth. He heard some knocking on the door and groaned.

"I told you to go away!" He heard a small 'humph' on the other side of the door.

"No you didn't!" He rolled his eyes as he walked over to the door.

"How'd you get into here, isn't this hall restricted to field workers?" Mouse looked up to him confused.

"You work in a field?" He shook his head, went into his bathroom, spit the toothpaste out, did the rest of that stuff, then came back in and sat down beside her on the bed.

"You know what I mean. Don't try to change the subject, how'd you get in here?" Mouse grinned up at him innocently.

"You know Angel?" He thought for a moment, recognizing the name slightly, though technically it wasn't that hard to do.

"It rings a bell but then in a place like this, every name does." Mouse nodded in understanding.

"Well, Angel is in your training program right now. She just started so you might not be teaching her yet." He thought for a moment and began to nod.

"She's probably in the computer part right now. She'll be learning with me in about…a week or so. Why? What's so evil abut the angel?" Mouse snorted.

"Trust me, she's no angel. She came into the game room today and-" Ved stopped Mouse's talking for a moment, suddenly remembering something?

"Is this the girl you kept yelling at for the last few months? The one you wouldn't talk to me and Chloe about? Because it seems that from the way you're talking, this has been going on for a while." Mouse nodded.

"Can I get back to my story now?" Ved nodded.

"Yes, your highness."

"You better believe it, now, Angel came into the game room today and about half of the TV's weren't being used, but she still came over and tried to-" A knock on the door.

"Come in Chloe." The girl walked in, carrying the suit they had to wear nearly all the time here - white shirt with green overalls.

"Laundry people just got done cleaning these…what are you and Mouse talking about?" Chloe asked, trying not to look interested as she began to hang the clothes up. She let down a sound of disgust when she saw the closet. "Hang your stuff up, Ved! That's why hangers were invented!" She told him angrily. Ved watched her movements carefully as she reached down to grab the clothes and bring them back up, watching the way her body moved and how softly she picked up the discarded clothes… He shook his head, looking at something else in the room, suddenly feeling very hot. When she was done with that she noticed the towel on the floor and turned to glare at him.

All he did was shrug.

She bent down to pick it up then, and hung it on a hanger in the closet, away from the dry clothes, so he could use it again. She then sat down next to Ved, Mouse looking impatient.

"You ready now?" The two nodded, but Chloe stopped her before she could talk.

"I didn't make the mess, blame Ved." Ved glared at her and was about to defend himself when Mouse stomped her foot.

"Don't even think about it people!" and with that, the youngest in the room began to talk again.

__

fin chapter-


	9. Notice on Sub

Notice in Sub

Rules for Groups and teams have been created so that we can be as strong and independent as we can be. These rules must be FOLLOWED.

1) Stick together in company

2) No Fighting

3) Be responsible

4) If you're the leader of the group, have them practice all the time, know what needs to be done to get your team stronger and better

4) If you're a member of the group, make sure the rest of your group is doing what they need to be, help each other figure out your strong and weaker points.

5) Make sure your dorms are close to each other

6) Watch out for each other's backs

7) Don't know you're team members to well - history and such, let something be a surprise when this is over with.

8) Make sure you have different jobs in different areas when not doing group work - it is important to know other people.

9) There is to never be a couple made within a group. There is to be getting no closer than just a team player. You may join the lottery, if you wish to do so, but you must NEVER be with a partner.

Failure to follow any of these rules and you will be exiled from this safe haven.

Have a good day.


	10. Dreams of the Past

Old Dreams

-

Chapter Five

Dreams of the Past

-

Ved rubbed the back of his neck, releasing some of the tension that was up there. He wished for a moment he remembered whatever it was that he forgot but he hoped that whatever it was - it could wait till morning. He was way to tired to remember anything now. He pulled back the covers and crawled into his bed, falling asleep quickly.

-

__

"Ved, wake up." Ved groaned under his breath.

"I dun wanna get up yet!" He heard his closet doors opening and clothes rustling around.

"It's time to move Ved. You need to work to keep your position you know." More rustling around with the clothes. "You of all people should know. After that trick you played on Java the other day…I thought she was going to kill you." A snort from the figure under the bed.

"Well, Ram didn't let her, now, did he?" A snort from the figure at the dresser.

"He isn't that fond of you at the moment either, remember? Oh, wait, no one told you yet…" Ved sat up quickly, a worried look on his face.

"What? What did I do, Jay?" His brother looked at him grimly.

"Someone seems to have been hacking into every single program there is - including Ram's personal files. I wonder who this could be." Ved looked at the older blond, shocked.

"Ca-caught! But I made sure to-" From the way his brother's glare intensified he figured that he had just said the wrong thing.

"So you ARE the one hacking into all the files…dammit. I told Ram that it couldn't have been you. To young and…we need to get him off you." Jay went silent thinking for a moment. "You can't just stop, way to dangerous but maybe-" His brother interrupted him.

"You're helping me get out of this?" His brother looked at him as though he should know the answer to this.

"When have I not?" Ved grinned at the older boy.

"Thanks Jay."

-

__

"Jay, are you absolutely sure that your brother didn't do it? I could've sworn that the pipsqueak was with us…" Jay shook his head 'no' to Ram, the other person he was talking to.

"He couldn't have been, he was at the Casino the entire time." Jay spied his younger brother, listening to the two of them. When Ram began to speak again, Ved mouthed the words 'Thank you' over to him.

"-but if you're sure…" Jay nodded.

"Positive." Jay told him without blinking. Ram looked away for a moment and he mouthed back 'You owe me'.

-

__

"Jay, what's going on?" Ved asked, right after hearing the scream in an alley after his brother had sent the troops to split up.

"I don't know." His brother said after a beat. Ved began to get a worried feeling in his gut, running after his brother. Jay stopped quickly, Ved following.

"What the fucking hel-" His brother let out. Since it was rare for his brother to say anything worse than 'crap' , Ved was really starting to get worried and in front of him, he saw an even better reason of why.

Seven huge tall Myrmidons were coming towards them, a few members already being taken.

"Ved, go back and tell headquarters what's happening!" The younger boy didn't listen.

"And what, let you guys have all the fun?"

"Ved, go!"

"I'm staying here!" His older brother glared at him, looking back quickly to the approaching Myrmidons.

"Fine, but you had better do absolutely everything I say, understood?" Ved nodded his head quickly When Ved saw his brother going for his wrist, he began to go for the 'band' on his to.

"Get ready to fire!" Jay yelled, already setting it there. Ved got his there shortly after. "FIRE!" All the remaining Technos shot at two different Myrmidons and it barely did anything to either, they paused for a moment, but then jut kept on moving - like all they had to do was swat a bug. Ved looked up towards his brother, waiting for what to do next.

"Again!" They did it again. This time one of the ones they hit paused so Jay told them to get it as strong as they could again before firing - like he needed to tell them. "Again!" They did. "Again!" They did.

Neither worked.

There was only one more option that Jay could think of. "Do not run back to headquarters with these things behind you and - Retreat!" He yelled. The others had no problem taking that order - though some of them were taken by Myrmidons already - again.

Jay and Ved were still running though - still fighting. But the thing was gaining on the two of them and quickly. Suddenly, Ved felt his brother's hands on his shoulders, roughly pushing him into an alley.

"J-Jay what are you-" Ved let out before another scream, like the others that were being yelled whenever a Myrmidon grabbed them - he had been ignoring them earlier, but couldn't now. "J-Jay…" He let out a choked sob, before getting up and running to the other side of the alley.

-

Ved got up with a groan, and tear marks on both sides of his face.

"Dreamless sleeping pills, the stupid damn dreamless sleeping pills… God, dammit!" He let out a quick sob and sigh. "Why'd you have to go Jay? Why'd you have to fucking go?" Ved hunched into a dangerous position and put his head into his hands.

"How can I keep on doing this Ved? This was always your type of thing… Are you still even out there?" A quick gasp, "Why'd you have to go?"

__

fin chapter-


	11. Video Archive Training Lesson Angel

Video Archive-

Training Lesson B-02

Name?

Angel

Age?

13

To Begin, Press 'Enter'

Start-

Be sure to pay attention to this as an exam will soon follow.

This lesson centers around the Overlords and their creatures. The five main creatures are Screamers, Trackers, Myrmidons, Wingers, and Ferrets.

All of these creatures will be found in groups. If you are not sure which creature is which, go back to A-06 and study them.

Can you correctly distinguish the creatures? If so, press enter to continue.

Activate-

Here is something to help you remember how these creatures go about.

__

Screamers scream singly, all alone

Trackers Track in Trios of three

Ferrets flock with fangs of five

Myrmidons March always in seven

Wingers in the sky, always nine

It is important to know how many creatures are in a certain area because there will never be less than this many. If you see one Tracker, watch out for the other two. See a Winger, eight others will be in sight of the first.

Only Myrmidon masters and a few other creatures will be seen alone. These will be covered in your next lesson.

Before we move on, you have any questions?

Yes.

Please type your question below.

Screamers travel alone - why are they in this category?

Please wait as answer is being identified.

Screamers are put into this section because they call the other creatures - like trackers, who would then, once _they _know where the prey, will then proceed to call Myrmidons or something else, like a winger, that can take care of it from there.

If you have another question, please type it below. If not, please study and remember what you've just learned. Come back in thirty minutes and you will be tested.

Quit Training Lesson


	12. Of Human Minds

Old Dreams

-

Chapter Six

Of Human Minds

-

Chloe put her hair up into a ponytail as she began to walk down the hall and into the examination rooms. Shade wanted her and Ved to look at something. She wasn't sure what it was but she hoped that it wouldn't take up to much time. Mouse was in the Pre-Teen's Hour today and she just hoped to catch her part.

She turned around to glare at Ved when he tugged on her ponytail. "Don't do that, will you?" He just shrugged and grinned at her and the pair walked to the room that Shade had indicated earlier silently.

"You wanted to see us, Shade?" Chloe asked as she walked in. Ved was silent.

"Yes, yes…I was studying the ferret you brought in the other day." The lights switched on automatically and a gleaming silver table was in front of them. Machines were holding the ferret down, with smaller ones doing things like holding parts of the body open and the eyes and mouth open too. Blood was seeping slowly from the body but Shade didn't seem to care.

Chloe flinched when she saw it but did nothing else. It wasn't to long ago that she learned about the meat factory and all of that. She sometimes wished that Rachel hadn't told her about the barracks, and your sixteenth birthday. How you were taken to what's called 'The Meat Factory' and get chopped up and made into batteries for these…things. One of the sickest parts, in Chloe's eyes, was the fact that about fifteen girls were chosen each your on their sixteenth birthday to become _mothers._ After all, they can't run out of people to chop up.

She shook her head from these thoughts, not needing things like these to slow her down.

"There's something on here I'd like you to read…would you mind?" Chloe shook her head no and began to walk forward to where Shade lit up a blue light.

"I can't read it correctly, and none of my systems are picking it up…" Chloe nodded as he told her what was going on.

"I'll do my best, right here, right?"

"Yes, yes, that's it." Chloe leaned forward and began to read.

_"Fear washes me, Fear no me, friends no more, group of five, no friend." _Chloe looked up at Shade, confused. "Is that poetry?"

Shade nodded.

"Some type of it I suppose. It probably retained some of it's human memory before it completely disappears." Chloe looked closer at the marks, feeling un easy slightly.

"I know I asked you this before, Shade, but are you positive that, when _you_ cut them up…there's nothing still…human about them?"

"Of course, Chloe, how could I not be?" Chloe shrugged.

"Well…when I see things like this…" Shade shook his head.

"Chloe, I already told you that."

"But…but these marks are _new._" Shade shook his head at her again, making her feel as though she were a little girl.

"Chloe, I'm sure you're eyes are just making you see things. You can both go now. Thank you for your assistance Chloe, sorry that you came for no reason Ved." Ved nodded as he backed up, to make room so Chloe could go out of the room first.

The two were walking alone again when Chloe looked over at him.

"Think Shade was telling the truth? Those marks looked so _new._" Ved was silent before nodding.

"Yeah, I noticed that too when you pointed it out." Chloe went silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

"Do you think that Shade should be allowed to do that?" Ved looked at her out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but glance at her lips before looking at her eyes to answer her.

"What? Test on them if they still have human memory?" Chloe nodded. Ved shrugged.

"How should I know?" Chloe tried to say something else but Ved stopped her before she could. "It wouldn't make a difference to Shade anyway Chloe. You know how he treats things like this." Chloe nodded at him and he continued. "To him, they are just the enemy." She nodded silently again before changing the subject.

"What did Mouse say was the time she'd be going up?"

-

A boy, around fourteen years of age, ran as fast as he could, whistles were close behind him, something was chasing him. The weak ones, he was sure of it - but the ones who could tell the Myrmidons where you were. Trackers.

A mental picture flashed before his eyes - tall, huge, completely red nose, a long oval black mask, hiding the rest of the face, wheels moving it. The speed of the whistle showed that it had something, that it was following something that shouldn't be out - him.

He looked around him for a way out but couldn't see any. He wondered briefly if there would be anything in the sewers. He knew about the ferrets, but he wondered if he could risk it. He'd been on the run for days now - a miracle. He didn't know where he was running though.

It was one of the older boys who told him something was out there - something to run too. It was that same older boy who got him out. The older boy, Cale, was going to go with him, but he got caught…taken back to the Dorms…if he was lucky. Either that or to the Meat Factory.

The boy looked sick at that thought, seeing Cale being ripped up and- He shook the image out of his head, wishing Cale didn't tell him so clearly what they did to people who came from the Training Grounds, like they did, in the Meat Factory.

_"They chop you up. They don't always use your brains though, not here - those are for the smart people that they leave in the dorms. But for us, the people who get to swim, lift weights, and work out to our hearts desire - we get to be the bodies. We make them up. When they take you to the Meat Factory on your sixteenth birthday, they'll take out every last single muscle in your body and put it into a Myrmidon. Oh, oh, oh, can you feel the power? We make it, we are it, and as for me, I don't want that to happen to me." Cale said. Another boy in the Training Grounds stood up and glared at him._

"How are you so sure? Why should we think you're telling the truth?" Cale smiled at him.

"Shade told me."

Now he was looking for this Shade. He didn't know what to do or how… all he knew was that he had to get there. He didn't want to have to worry about these things any longer - and Shade was the one to do it.

But first, he had to live to get to him.

__

fin chapter-


	13. Video Archive Fuse

Video Archive-

Recruit Files-

Interview #0001 - Fuse

8 Days after 'The Change'

Unedited 

Start-

Hello. My name is Fuse. I'm the first person here and the first person to be interviewed - go me.

I got here through scavenging. Surviving. That sort of thing. I'm sort of a computer whiz - of course Shade being who he is…well…obviously he's going to know more.

But I sort of…found him. Unearthed him you could say. He was in a laptop in this really old apartment building, I doubt anyone had ever been in it ever since the epidemic, much less the Change.

Anyway, back to how I found Shade. 'He' was in an old apartment building, near the top area. From the surroundings of the place I could gather that like, only one guy lived there, bought it for himself, the whole building, and then did what he wanted. Apparently the guy who lived there is the guy who created Shade, some guy named 'Roger Moske'.

From what I can gather, people thought that this guy was nuts. Not your usual mad scientist stuff either, but really off his rocker. They figured he had, like, a multiple personality or something like that. Apparently the guy used it to his advantage, you know? Working alone and stuff.

There isn't even one version of Shade! Get that! There was this other one who was, like, really pissed off at me. Shade, the one hosting this interview, told me it was only artificial intelligence, sort of a security system for the house but YEESH! The guy talking to me was pissed off! He was a hologram if any of you are wondering - like this Shade most of the time. Anyway, Shade said it was just AI but I dunno. This guy displayed an awful lot of emotion! Not to mention he wasn't that bad once I told him what was going on in the world outside (The overlords taking over, that kind of thing). He's sort of the one who showed me how to get this Shade out, you know? Told me how to access him, how to give him power.

One of the best things I've ever done! The Shade 1 told me to go to the docks with the laptop, told me that I could be safe there for a bit once I get there. He then pointed out where the instructions were to get Shade 2 to work.

And that's it. I ran to the docks. Apparently the crazy guy had friends in high places - like the military. Subs were all over the place (not at the docks I went to, but Shade 2, once I got him up and started, told me where to go) and now I'm here and that's that.

Break. 14 seconds

Yeah, my group members helped me out a little bit, but I did most of the work.

End Interview-

Delete


	14. Ready To Move

Old Dreams

-

Chapter Seven

Ready to Move

-

Sammy sighed as he looked at the clothes that he needed to put on. He seriously didn't want to do this, felt sick to his stomach. So what if he was fourteen? That doesn't necessarily mean that you should go and- He sighed grabbing the clothes and going to the dressing room, looking on the bright side.

_At least it's Ved and Chloe that'll be showing me the ropes._ He thought to himself silently. Shade always partnered the younger recruits with people he thought they'd most be like or would actually be teamed up with at some point later on. _I hope this means we'll be a team and…not the other choice._ He thought to himself as he closed the door behind him.

-

Chloe walked into Ved's room, knowing that he was gone, getting ready to take Sammy out. She was already ready but decided to use some of her free time. She needed to find something in there anyway, and she knew he wouldn't mind.

"Where did I leave it?" She whispered to herself, picking up objects and pictures that Mouse had given him. She had quite a few herself, the girl's drawing skill improved so much since Sammy's new girlfriend had started to teach her. Mouse certainly liked to show it off too.

She began to bend over to see if it fell under the bed when she heard a soft beeping noise come from the closet. She ignored it for a while but then its pattern started to change. She got up from her position and walked to the door.

Upon opening it she saw what she expected. A few clothes hung up along with a few belts, though most were still on the ground, she shook her head but when she realized that the beeping noise was coming from farther back and lower in the closet.

She felt around, trying to figure out where the switch for the light was. When she got it she noticed a black bag that looked at though it hadn't been touched in ages. _It probably hasn't been. _She reminded herself, walking into the closet and kneeling down beside it.

She grabbed the strings and loosened them. Looking inside she found all of Ved's old Techno stuff.

The laser, the tracer, the mask…and that one talking piece. She reached in and grabbed it, pulling it up. It was what was beeping, and it still was. She heard the announcement that a training course was going to start in a few minutes so she wrapped up the part that was beeping with a handkerchief she saw lying around so it would be harder to hear, and then put it in her pocket, standing, and running out the door, wondering what Ved would have to say about this.

-

"Attention!" Ved called over the troops. Being one of the oldest immediately made you one of the teachers for the younger ages. Of course, Ved taught just about everyone. The only person who hadn't ever been to at least one of Ved's classes was probably Chloe and a few others maybe - but then again, Chloe had quite a few of her own to teach. "This is a training unit. This is the hardest training unit. If you don't do this one well, we'll know immediately because you're either be injured or dead. If either happens, and it is not because you were acting out, you will be given a free day. I wouldn't suggest trying to get it though." Whether it was a joke or not, no one laughed. It probably wasn't though from the stony look Ved had on his face.

"Alright, now you've all read the books, you know the rules. Two rookies to group, only three groups at a time. My group will leave first, Group 5 after that, and then Group 8. Split up." Ved said, he turned and walked to the tunnel he went through before with his group, who were all there, except now were two more people - Sammy, and a girl named Jezebel. Ved looked her over, automatically knowing how Sammy would do. He was top of his class, and it wasn't just because he was smart. This girl though…she was good at fighting, like he was, but Shade told him her strong points were in her mind. No one knew what would happen when they went outside and having a good head on your shoulders was something that could always help someone. Of course, if you were conceited and thought you could be better than the others of your group…

Looking at her though, Ved doubted they would have much of a problem. Jezebel looked nervous as hell, twirling her green hair between her fingers and biting her lip. Her eyes were jumpy, not quite sure where they should land or how she should act.

Nodding to Chloe he went down the same path they had earlier - Him, Chloe, Josie, and Alan. When all six of them got to the end, the top opened and Ved grabbed onto the ladder and climbed out, before following him, Chloe looked back at Sammy and Jezebel.

"Remember, anything that you remember…from before the change…" She looked to the ceiling, try to form the words before shrugging and simply saying, "It's not like that anymore."

_-fin-_


	15. Duty Schedules

Duty Schedules

---------------------------------------------------

Today's List is as follows…

---------------------------------------------------

**NOTE: SCHEDULES ARE ALLOWED TO BE CHANGED OR ALTERED AT ALL TIMES!**

-----------------

Classes with Ved

-----------------

_5 AM_

Ages 12 - 13

(Training)

_7 AM_

Ages 9 - 11

(Self Defense II)

_10 AM_

Ages 14 and over

(Strategy Making)

_12 - 2 PM_

Everyone

(Lunch)

_2 PM_

Ages 7 - 8

(History 1)

_4 PM_

Groups 1 - 5

(Class)

_6 PM_

Groups 6 - 10

(Class)

_8 PM_

Groups 11 - 15

(Class)

_10 PM_

(At class)

-------------------

Classes with Chloe

-------------------

_5 AM_

Ages 9 - 11

(Beginner's Level 2 First Aid)

_7 AM_

Selected Students (Medicals)

(Advanced Medicine and First Aid)

_12 - 2 PM_

Everyone

(Lunch)

_3 PM_

Ages 7 - 8

(Beginner's Level 1 First Aid)

_4 PM_

Ages 14 and over

(First Aid Refresher Course)

_5 PM_

Ages 4 - 6

(Reading and Writing Level 1)

_6 PM_

Groups 21 - 25

(Class)

_8 PM_

Ages 12 - 13

(Intermediate First Aid)

_10 PM_

Group 16 - 20

(Class)

------------------

Classes with Leaf

------------------

_5 AM_

Ages 7 - 8

(Reading and Writing Level 2)

_7 AM_

Ages 4 - 6

(Early Math)

_10 AM_

Ages 12 - 13

(Geography/City Terrain)

_12 - 2 PM_

Everyone

(Lunch)

_4 PM_

Ages 7 - 8

(Early Math 2)

_5 PM_

Ages 9 - 11

(Reading and Writing Level 3)

_6 PM_

(At Class)

-------------------

Classes With Billy

-------------------

_11 AM_

Ages 12 - 13

(Art 4)

_12 - 2 PM_

Everyone

(Lunch)

_3 PM_

Ages 9 - 11

(Art 3)

_5 PM_

Ages 7 - 8

(Art 2)

_6 PM_

Ages 4 - 6

(Art 1)

_8 PM_

(At Class)

--------------------

Classes With Ginger

--------------------

_5 AM_

Ages 14 and Over

(History 4)

_7 AM_

Ages 12 - 13

(History 3)

_10 AM_

Ages 9 - 11

(History 2)

_12 - 2 PM_

Everyone

(Lunch)

_4 PM_

(At Class)

------------------

Classes With Alan

------------------

_7 AM_

Ages 7 - 8

(Drama 2)

_9 AM_

Ages 4 - 6

(Drama 1)

_10 - 12 AM_

Ages 4 - 11

(Large Play Tryouts!)

_12 - 2 PM_

Everyone

(Lunch)

_4 - 5 PM_

Ages 12 - 13

(Drama 4)

_6 - 7 PM_

Ages 9 - 11

(Drama 3)

_8 - 10 PM_

Ages 12 and over

(Large Play Tryouts!)

_10 PM_

(At Class)

-------------------

Classes With Josie

-------------------

_8 AM_

Ages 4 - 8

(Chorus)

_9 AM_

Ages 9 - 13

(Chorus)

_12 - 2 PM_

Everyone

(Lunch)

_2 PM_

9 and Over

(Band)

_10 PM_

(At Class)

------------------

Classes With Bear

------------------

_9 AM_

Ages 7 - 8

(Physical Education)

_12 - 2 PM_

Everyone

(Lunch)

_3 PM_

Ages 4 - 6

(Physical Education)

_6 PM_

(At Class)

-------------------

Classes With Shade

-------------------

_6 AM_

Ages 14 and Above

(All Math)

_7 AM_

Ages 14 and Above

(Geography/City Knowledge)

_8 AM_

Ages 14 and Above

(Language Arts)

_12 - 2 PM_

Everyone

(Lunch)

-------------------------------------

Have a great day!


	16. I See Someone

Old Dreams

-

Chapter Eight

"I see someone."

-

Whatever Sammy and Jezebel were expecting to see when they got out of the sub, it wasn't what they saw.

"Oh my-" Jezebel stuttered before bringing her hand to her mouth. Sammy didn't do anything to hint at what he was feeling, but it wasn't far behind that.

The city he knew from when he was younger, full of color and diversity, was now blank and gray.

There were no people except them out there and quite frankly it was scaring him.

Looking out at the 'city' now, he felt a surge of hatred rise through him. _Damn the overlords!_ he thought to himself. _Damn them!_

Jezebel's thinking wasn't quite on that track but it wasn't far behind. _The sky…it's…black, and this fog! Where is all this fog coming from? Is it day or night? Inside they said it's around five in the morning…But there isn't a hint of sun out here…But it has to be here, right? I mean, we can still see…_

Ved gave them a few seconds before motioning with his fingers to follow him.

Unlike Group 16's usual formation, they were doing this slightly different to protect Sammy and Jezebel a bit more. Ved and Josie were in front, then Sammy and Jezebel, then Alan and Chloe. They started walking up the docks and into the city.

Sammy recognized it immediately which surprised him. If you walk a few more blocks, and turn left you'd be by the mall. _The Mallrats…_ he thought to himself before shaking those thoughts out of his head. He didn't need this right now.

Sammy tried to pay attention to what Ved was doing, and he was doing a great job until he saw something out of the corner of his eye, he turned his head to look only to be hit lightly by Chloe.

"Pay attention, Sammy!" She reprimanded him. If it hadn't been for the fact that Sammy knew she was just worried about him, he might've gotten angry. Before he could answer a bright flash of light took over his mind and everything in it felt as though it was slowly being filtered out, leaving Sammy with only a vision.

_A boy was running, tan skin, black hair, around thirteen years of age. Sweat on his brow and a panicked look on his face. He wasn't talking, he probably didn't even know how, it had been so long since he needed to. He couldn't yell for help, because he didn't know what to yell. A tall silver machine, about five feet high, with a bowl shaped head that had a black cover over the 'bowl' that was so highly polished you could see yourself in it, with a larger, open…mouth. Inhumanly large, yet you knew that's where it comes from, humans. They just change everything in the meat factory._

_There were wheels under it, which was how it moved around. It was letting out a high pitched scream scaring the boy, who couldn't seem to find a way out._

_A Screamer._

_He was shaking his head 'no'. His life could not end like this, he escaped the dorms to die by these things anyway? This couldn't be happening._

_Larger things were coming, much larger, and more dangerous. He was so busy concentrating on those things, he didn't even hear the green machines that were coming up to him. It was a strange looking thing, skinny and tall like the Screamers but without the black mask and mouth, it had a…nose…a human nose, but torn and stretched to an impossible size for a regular human. You could see the tears and scars from where the machines in the factory had to stretch it._

_It was also stronger than the human nose. It started a strange beeping, bringing the larger machines over much more quickly than before._

_Apparently he was worth looking into._

_They were large and blocky, and looked somewhat clumsy, but unlike their appearance suggests, they were oddly graceful in how they moved. Some walked, some rolled. It all depended on which model you were looking at. All were anywhere from six feet to eight feet tall and there were three of them there._

_Myrmidons._

_The strongest ones and the ones that would take you back to the meat factory to be chopped up into little pieces. The only other ones that did that would be Wingers, those large flying things that looked strangely enough like dragons when they were in the sky, with a long, movable metal body and large wings coming from it._

_The boy chanced a look up to see if any were there, there were, but they weren't paying attention to this, probably knowing they weren't going to get him, so why bother?_

_The boy didn't know any of this of course, about the machines, but Sammy did. Sammy thought about what the somewhat long Ferrets would do if they got the boy and the answer came to him simple enough, they'd do what all the ferrets do - they'd eat him._

_The Myrmidons were getting closer to the boy, they were only about three feet away from him when the tallest and closest raised it's inhumanly large arm and pointed it at him. The boy was confused until he saw the large sharp metal that was coming out where a hand would be in a human. His eyes widened._

_He was going to the meat factory if they were willing to hurt him._

Sammy shook his head, Chloe looking at him closely.

"Sammy! Don't space out like that! If you do that again, you could get killed!" Chloe whispered to him. Sammy looked at her, but his eyes seemed to be going through her, instead of at her. Chloe was about to shake him when he turned away from the group and began running to where he saw the movement.

He heard Chloe yell something to Ved and began t run faster. Chloe was faster than Ved, no problem, but that didn't mean that Ved was slow, or for that matter, weak. Sammy knew that even with as fast as he was going, Ved could run laps around him and still have enough breath to catch him.

_I have to find that boy!_ He thought to himself. _Mouse needs me to._ He had no idea how Mouse came into this equation, but that's what the voice in his head was telling him, and from some reason he couldn't shut it up.

Not that he wanted to.

He ran down the alley, The entire group closing in behind him, at the end of the alley he turned left took a step forward and ducked. He let a grin out. When he turned to Ved who was looking angry enough to kill someone, Sammy nodded to him.

"I see someone." He whispered. Ved looked at him confused before following Sammy's example and ducking. Everyone else followed after that.

Ved nodded to Sammy and Sammy looked at him like he was insane.

"You want me to lead?" He whispered. Ved nodded.

"You saw someone, not us, we don't know where to go or anything, you lead." Sammy nodded before looking over the old dumpster they were hiding behind before moving out, but not before telling everyone to leave the area in twos and threes to make sure everyone was with someone else. Sammy crossed the street with Chloe, and once again, everyone followed. They were in the middle of an old street now, if Sammy remembered correctly, this was where the 'Red's' hung out, but then again, it could be the 'Blue's', it's been so long…

Sammy waited for some kind of sign, telling him that they needed to move again when it happened.

A slow whistle that slowly and gradually turned into a scream.

"The Screamer found him, we have to hurry." He told them. Ved started to stand, not knowing that Sammy really DID see something, and getting ready to tell him to stop, that it was to dangerous if a Screamer had found the person already. As though Sammy read his mind, saying quickly so that it was of no interest to any of the machines around, "We've got time!"

With no other choice, the others followed.

_-fin-_


	17. Ginger's Lesson Plans

Ginger's Lesson Plans

14 and over

Begin learning about World War Two, Point out that they to had a terrible tyrant then.

Ages 12 - 13

Teach them about the Technos and how they were the current 'tyrants' of the time. Ask Ved for questions about Technos, re-word questions so you don't call them 'evil'.

Ages 9 - 11

Introduce all the old tribes to them, help them see which Tribe they might have been put in. Extra points to those that wind up in Midnight Riders!

--------------------------

Talk to Ved about what his lesson plans are for the younger children. See if he's talked to them about what a mall and hospital are yet.


End file.
